


Awakening

by radnewsbarrett



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, i PROMISE i'll shake it up a bit :), i love connor and hank. Too much, idk what else to say sorry there are no real tags, kind of follows the plot of the game, no smut lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-08 16:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16432691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radnewsbarrett/pseuds/radnewsbarrett
Summary: Veronica doesn't understand androids. She wants to, desperately, so she manages to get a job at the Detroit Police Department working with Hank Anderson on deviant cases.  She has no idea how much her new android partner, Connor, will teach her about the divide between human and machine.





	1. Chapter 1

Hot coffee splashed down her shirt.

Veronica swore, trying to wipe it away and searing her hand in the process. She set her coffee cup on the receptionist's desk, trying desperately to brush it off of herself without burning her palms. She quickly ran to the nearest bathroom and dried off a bit. Her white shirt now had a massive brown spot running from the collar to the fifth button. How flattering.

She rushed back to the receptionist and grabbed her coffee, apologizing quickly to the android behind the desk. "No need to apologize," she called after Veronica had already shuffled past.

She took a swig of the coffee, figuring she might as well finish it since it already fucked up her day. It was bitter; she'd gotten it from some crappy fast food joint. It smelled strong, both the cup and her shirt.

She looked around at the office for a moment. The Detroit Police Department office was bigger than she expected; it was far larger than the one in her hometown she'd come from. Hopefully, this would be a new start for her and a chance to prove herself.

"You lost?" She turned suddenly when someone spoke to her. "What are you looking for?"

It was a man, with dark brown hair. He was dressed in a brown jacket, a t-shirt, and jeans. "Yeah. I'm looking for Lieutenant Hank Anderson?"

His face immediately curled into a frown. "Jesus Christ," he muttered. "My deepest apologies." He turned and pointed to a desk, covered in pictures and newspaper clippings. "He'll be over there in a minute. You're new then?"

"Yeah. Just got to the city yesterday." She brushed her hair behind her ear. "It's been crazy."

"Yeah, I remember when I first got here. I felt pretty lost too." He blinked. "Oh, looks like he's here." Veronica watched a tall man sit down at the desk on the far end of the office. "The name's Gavin Reed."

"I'm Veronica. See you later," she called, walking away. She headed up to Lieutenant Anderson, feeling a little more pleasant after her conversation with Gavin. "Hi. I'm Veronica Wallace, I'll be working with you on the deviant case."

He swiveled around, eyebrows barely raised and looking extremely hungover. "You're a little late. You know we were at the crime scene last night?"

Veronica frowned. "I'm really sorry I couldn't make it, I just got here yesterday."

Hank's expression didn't soften; he gestured quickly to the desk across from his and sunk deeper into his chair. "I just forwarded the files to you. I don't really give a shit if you read them or not." 

Veronica muttered a quick 'thank you' and opened up the files. She scrolled through a few, noting the stories were mostly the same - owners reporting strange and violent behavior by their androids. She read as many as she could stand to - about 15 - before turning away. "What happened with the android last night?"

"We found him, but he wouldn't give anything up. The bastard killed himself in his cell this morning." He jerked his head to the side, gesturing to the back of the office. "Guess the case is closed."

"...Yeah." Veronica looked at Hank, studying his face. His most striking feature was his eyes; they were an icy blue that pierced through her when he looked at her. She thought he looked disheveled and unprofessional.

"Hey, what happened to your shirt?" Hank asked suddenly. "Is it that hard to find something without a massive stain to wear to work?"

Veronica thought of at least 50 biting answers to his question, but she stopped herself. 

"He's hungover, I'm sure you can tell. He doesn't really mean it."

Veronica looked up when someone spoke behind her. It was an android, she noticed, its model number in clear print above its shirt pocket. "Uh, yeah," she said, a little confused as to why an android was making conversation with her. "I know."

He put his hand stiffly in front of her, awaiting a handshake. She took it and shook it hesitantly. "I'm Connor. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife to assist you and Lieutenant Anderson on the deviant case." She expected his hand to be freezing, but it was surprisingly warm.

"Hi, I'm Veronica - I mean, you probably already know my name," she said, smiling a little. "Nice to meet you." She let go of his hand, looking up at his face. His hair was perfectly swept back, and his eyes were a deep brown. They lowered slightly, and Veronica realized with a frown that he was analyzing her shirt.

"It would appear she spilled coffee on her shirt this morning, Lieutenant," Connor said, "within the last hour. There is no reason to insult her over that." Hank just shrugged, turning to his computer and starting to type. Connor looked around for a moment and grabbed an empty chair, sitting down.

"Let me fill you in on the deviant from last night." Veronica nodded, noticing the small circle on Connor's right temple turning a bright yellow and flipping back to blue. "It belonged to a man named Carlos Ortiz. Ortiz was found with 28 stab wounds to the abdomen. It appeared that the murder began as self-defense."

"Hank told me the android killed himself." 

"Yes. I was - " Connor's LED flashed yellow " - unsuccessful in getting a confession. This morning, the android was found self-destructing in its cell." 

Veronica couldn't help but notice that Connor's focused stare had turned a bit distant. "Hey, it's fine. There's always next time. 243 next times, exactly," she said, gesturing to the deviant files on the computer. "You'll make up for this, I promise."

Connor nodded, blinking. "I...suppose you're right." 

Suddenly, a cop ran over, his breathing labored. "We found the AX400. It's in a motel down the street."

Hank stood, pushing his chair out of the way and heading quickly out the door. Connor followed at a brisk walk and Veronica jogged to the door to catch up to them. 

A few blocks down, they arrived at a small, decent-looking motel. Hank and Connor went inside to ask the owner a few questions, and Veronica waited outside at Hank's request. 

"Hey, did Hank kick you out?" Gavin asked, approaching her. 

"Yeah. It's fine, he's kind of fucked up right now," she answered, shrugging. 

"He's always kind of fucked up." Gavin leaned against the wall. "I really feel bad for you, Veronica. Hank's an ass." Veronica gave him a small smile.

"It's not here!" Hank shouted, bursting through the door. "Must've left out the back." Veronica hurried towards him. "Just keep your eyes peeled," he said to her.

Connor followed close behind Hank. The three of them went around to the back, inspecting the door. Connor swiped two fingers across the door, bringing them close to his face. He started to speak, but he was cut off by a police officer dashing around the corner. "We found her!"

"Oh shit!" Hank shouted, running and following him. "Connor, go - " But he was already gone, running so fast that Veronica couldn't even try to catch up.

Hank grabbed her and dragged her along, Veronica stumbling over her heels and ultimately kicking them off. They managed to reach Connor, who was starting to climb over a large fence. "Connor!" Hank shouted, grabbing his coat and pulling. "Don't go, you hear me? You'll kill yourself!"

Veronica hadn't even fully registered what she was looking at yet. Connor let go, dropping to his knees and quickly righting himself. Veronica looked through the fence and spotted a woman and a child running onto the highway. Her heart leapt into her throat. "Stop!" she screamed, grabbing onto the metal fence. "You'll die out there!"

They didn't stop. The woman picked up the girl and carried her, doing an incredible job of dodging cars. After the worst two minutes of Veronica's life, they reached the other side. The woman kissed the girl's forehead and ran off after one last look at Connor, Hank, and Veronica. 

"Jesus Christ," Hank breathed, running a hand through his hair. "Why the fuck would they do that?"

"They thought they were scared, Lieutenant," Connor said, looking a little disturbed himself. "They can't feel human emotions, they can just emulate them. Somehow their system placed getting away from us as a higher priority than staying alive."

"Fuckin' crazy," Hank said, still looking stunned. He started to walk back towards the road.

Connor followed, walking stiffly. Veronica followed close behind. "Why didn't I go after them?" Connor said suddenly.

"What?" Veronica looked at him, frowning. "You would've died."

"I can't die," Connor cut in. "I would just be replaced by another RK800 model."

"Oh. Then maybe... It was because Hank said not to."

Connor stopped walking. "But it would've benefited my mission to get to those deviants. I failed. Again."

Veronica quickly shook her head. "You don't have to succeed every time. There's always second chances."

"I do. Cyberlife is depending on me to succeed in this mission. If I don't..." Connor didn't finish that sentence, instead walking quickly to catch up with Hank.

Veronica watched him curiously. She felt like she'd just seen something she wasn't supposed to. Androids weren't supposed to...feel, were they? Was Connor programmed to feel anger at the thought of failure? Or happiness at the idea of success? She knew he was far more advanced than other androids, so that was a possibility. Still, something in her felt that Connor was a little more human than he knew.

She joined Hank and Connor outside the motel again. Connor seemed to have recovered, standing stoically next to Hank and reciting what information they had on the two androids. Hank wasn't listening; he stared out at the highway, still shaken up by what he'd just seen. "Hey, Wallace," Hank said after a moment of silence. "I'm impressed you managed to keep up."

"Thanks." She studied him for any signs of sarcasm, but he seemed genuine. She was glad.

"Well, we should probably head back," Hank said, starting to walk in the other direction. "What do you think of the job so far, Detective?"

"A lot more exciting than where I was before," she answered, smiling a little. "It is always this thrilling?"

Hank shrugged. "Depends." He clapped a hand on her shoulder, seeming a little less pissed off. "Well, welcome to the team. I think you'll do just fine." She smiled in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey there, thanks for reading!! nothing to say really except i loooooove connor lol. and hank. thanks again! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Veronica headed into the office the next day, wearing a black shirt and much more sensible shoes. She sat down at her desk across from Hank's, sipping her coffee. 

"Hey." She looked up when Gavin sat down at Hank's desk. "How are you?"

"Pretty good," she replied, setting her coffee down. "I'm just a little shaken up from yesterday, I guess."

"I can understand that, you're new. You did good yesterday."

"I didn't do much of anything," Veronica said, grinning, "but thanks."

She took her last swig of coffee. Gavin seemed to notice. "Hey, wanna go get a refill?" he asked. "I wanted to get some coffee too."

"Yeah, sure." She stood up, following Gavin to the break room. 

He started his coffee, leaning against the counter. Veronica followed suit, setting her empty mug down and mirroring him. "I never really thanked you for yesterday. So... Yeah. Thanks. You actually made me feel a lot less nervous about everything." 

"Yeah? No problem. It's nothing." He filled a styrofoam cup with coffee and took a quick sip, flinching as if he burned his tongue. "So, uh, you wanna go out tonight?"

"What?" Veronica asked, blinking. This was unexpected.

"You seem cool, I think we could make something out of this." He set his coffee down and leaned in towards her. She instinctively moved back. "Come on, there's obviously something here..." He leaned even closer, grabbing her arm and squeezing. Veronica's mind was racing, wondering when the fuck she gave off the impression that she wanted this. Gavin let his lips brush against hers for just a moment.

"Excuse me, Detective Wallace." Connor stood in the doorway, looking with that same neutral expression at the two of them tangled together against the counter. "Captain Fowler would like to speak with you and Lieutenant Anderson." 

Gavin turned away, but he didn't let up on his grip. "She's busy. She'll be there in a minute, right?" He looked down at her. She started to shake her head.

"Detective Reed, you should let go of her. She's needed elsewhere, and she doesn't want to be near you." He let go of Veronica, but only to stalk up to Connor.

"You listen to me, plastic asshole," he hissed. "Stay out of my fucking way." He pushed Connor, sending him stumbling a couple steps, and stormed out of the room.

Veronica picked up her coffee mug and filled it, her hands trembling. She hadn't been sure how to say no to Gavin; he'd been so nice to her so far, but... That was so out of left field.

"What does Fowler need us for?" Veronica asked, turning around and facing him.

"Nothing." 

"What?"

"I saw you through the doorway and you were visibly uncomfortable. I thought it would be helpful to intercept the situation." His eyes flitted over her body quickly, making her tense up a bit. "Your arm is going to suffer some minor bruising. I'm sorry."

Veronica was a little dumbfounded. "Thanks. Thank you, Connor." She brushed her hair away from her face, suddenly not wanting to look him in the eye. "You kind of saved me back there."

"I only met Detective Reed two days ago, but I do know that he is known to make unwanted advances towards women. If I didn't try to help you I would be betraying my team on my mission." Connor's calculated voice seemed to lilt a bit on the word 'team'. His LED flashed yellow for less than a second.

"Well, thank you. Again." Veronica smiled up at him, genuinely relieved, and he returned a thin-lipped smile that, while extremely awkward, made Veronica feel a little warm inside.

Hank still wasn't in yet. Veronica sat down at her desk, and Connor pulled a chair over, just like he had yesterday. "Detective Wallace, would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?"

"Go ahead," she replied. "But stop calling me Detective, it's Veronica."

"Okay, Veronica." Laughing a little, Veronica turned in her chair to face him. "I haven't been getting through to Lieutenant Anderson. I want our mission to be successful, and in order for that to happen I need to get him to cooperate."

"I know one thing you can try." He perked up a bit. "That! Just like that." She grinned, while he gazed at her in confusion. "Just try to be a little more natural. I guess Hank isn't really into androids, so...try not to act like one."

"That does sound like a good idea. I'll have to try."

"And smile a little more." She gave Connor a wide, toothy grin, which he tried to reciprocate. "You'll get better at it."

"Thank you for the advice, Veronica," Connor said, with a small smile that, to Veronica, seemed very genuine. It even made her heart go a little faster.

"No problem. And on second thought, I think you've got smiling down." She gazed into his deep brown eyes, searching for any answers to the mystery that was his existence. She wanted to help him open up.

"The hell are you two doing?" Veronica jumped when a gruff voice spoke behind her. She turned and found Lieutenant Anderson, who took his seat across from her.

"I was just talking to Connor," she answered. "Just going over what we have."

Hank didn't reply; he kicked his feet up onto the desk. "So what do we have today?"

Connor blinked a few times. "...It seems we have an apartment building downtown. Some people have been hearing strange noises from a room that was thought to be abandoned. They have reason to believe it's an android."

Hank rolled his eyes, standing up again. "We're gonna be spread pretty fuckin' thin if we have to investigate every strange noise in Detroit." Laughing a little at Hank's remark, Veronica joined Connor and Hank and headed out the door.

They reached the building quickly. It was a run down place. The three of them quickly reached the room, which was on the top floor.

"Connor, stay behind me," Veronica said lowly, pulling her gun out as she approached the door.

"Why?" he asked. "If I'm damaged, I can simply be sent to Cyberlife and replaced."

"Well - I don't know - just stay behind me." Veronica felt heat rise up in her face, and she was sure that Hank noticed.

"Jesus Christ, guys. How about this?" Hank stepped in front of both Veronica and Connor with a bemused look on his face. "Anybody home?" he called, banging on the door. "Detroit Police, open up!"

He kicked the door in, but he was immediately thrown back by a flurry of birds flying into his face. "What the fuck?!" he shouted, trying his best to wave them away. "Fuckin' disgusting," he muttered.

Connor walked inside, completely unfazed. Veronica followed, unnerved. The apartment was filthy, and filled with birds, to Veronica's confusion. She tried to wade past them as best as she could. "There's an LED in the sink," Connor called. Veronica paced to the bathroom and joined him.

Connor held a small circular chip in his palm. "It tore out the LED and fled," he muttered, turning and looking out the doorway. After a moment, he turned to Veronica. "Follow me," he mouthed, waving her along. She quietly trailed Connor. He walked out into the front room and reached up to a latch on the ceiling. Before he could open it, a body fell down and landed squarely on top of him. 

"Holy shit!" Veronica couldn't help but shout. The person picked themselves up and dashed out the front door. Without a moment of hesitation, Connor followed. Veronica and Hank jogged outside and watched the two of them disappear. 

"Let's head out the back way," Hank said quickly. "It'll be faster, we'll beat both of them to the rooftop. I bet that's where he's going." 

They rushed out the back door, the smack of their shoes hitting the ground creating a steady beat. Veronica looked around frantically and spotted Connor facing off with the deviant - on top of a goddamn train. "Jesus Christ!" Hank breathed. Veronica grabbed his arm and pulled him along. They carefully maneuvered around greenhouses and other obstacles to the best of their ability, and finally they made it to the final rooftop.

"Hey!" Hank shouted, grabbing the deviant. Connor soon arrived, just as the deviant managed to throw Hank off the roof and dash away. 

"You get Hank, I'll get the deviant!" Veronica shouted to Connor. He hesitated for a moment then nodded. Veronica made a break for it, running after the deviant and finally grabbing him at the last minute.

"Detroit Police," she said quietly into his ear. "You're - "

He managed to flip out of the hold Veronica had on his arm and wrap his arm around her neck. She gasped for breath, desperately scratching at his arm. He probably couldn't even feel it. She saw Connor and Hank run over; Hank's face fell almost immediately.

"If either of you move - at all - I'll fucking kill her." Alarms were blaring in Veronica's mind. She held back a scream when she felt the cold metal blade of a knife press against her neck. The deviant was scared, she could tell - his hand shook, which caused the knife to drag uncomfortably across her skin. "Now I'm gonna go. I - I wanna see you call in and tell them you lost me. Do it."

Connor opened his mouth and then shut it. The deviant drew blood now, and Veronica let out a squeak of pain. "Connor," she whispered, her heart sitting in her throat. Her whole body was seized by fear. "Connor, I - " 

"Fucking do it!" The deviant's grip tightened.

"Okay." Connor's voice was quiet, frantic - Veronica just barely registered it over the screaming in her mind. The deviant, obviously scared shitless, pulled the knife along a little more. Blood dripped down onto Veronica's collar, and hot tears welled up in her eyes. Through her tears, Veronica saw Connor's LED flash red for less than a second.

It flipped back to yellow and Connor spoke, with his eyes squeezed shut. "I'm at the apartment building. We lost it. I'll report the rest of my findings later." 

Veronica released a huge sigh, slumping over and almost falling into the knife at her throat. The deviant threw her down and jumped off the roof.

Veronica sat on her knees, her mind totally blanking. She reached up and felt the small slice that ran a few inches across her neck. Bringing her hand up to her face, she stared at the blood that stuck to her fingertips. It hurt like fucking hell.

Connor dropped down to his knees and took off his jacket. He tore the left sleeve off, and Veronica winced at the audible rip. "Your jacket, Connor," she said quietly, suddenly feeling a wave of shame over her panic.

"I can get a new jacket," he said quickly, with that little smile she'd seen back at the precinct. He tied it around her neck, tightly knotting the fabric and making sure it covered up the bleeding. "Are you okay?"

"You... You could've gotten him if I hadn't..." She felt a sob rise in her throat. "You saved my life, Connor." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, her whole body shaking. He didn't reciprocate for a few moments, but after hearing her let out an audible sob, he hugged her back. His arms were so warm. 

The walk down from the building was hell. "Kid, I'm really sorry," Hank said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It was really fucking brave of you to go down and try to get that deviant."

"Thank you," Veronica answered quietly. "I feel like I'm doing more harm than good to this investigation right now."

"Ah, shut the fuck up," Hank said. "We never get shit done anyways. No point in starting now." He gave her a small smile, and she reciprocated. 

"How are you?" She jumped a bit when Connor spoke. He matched her pace, reaching out and wrapping his arm around her. She started, turning and looking at him strangely. "You seemed tired, I figured I should help you walk."

"Well I'm okay." She turned away from Connor, staring at her feet. "I'm never going to be able to thank you enough. I was so scared, you - God. Thank you."

He adjusted the fabric around her cut quickly. "You don't have to thank me. It's my job to keep my partners safe. My mission wouldn't be nearly as successful without you." He paused. "Or as fun." He gave her a small wink.

Veronica felt heat rise up in her face. "Thanks." Connor seemed to notice her warmth, because he slightly moved away from her. "No, it's okay," she said, closing the distance between them. "I'm not too warm." He kept his arm around her the whole walk to the car.

When they got back to the precinct, Connor put a few bandages on her neck. Veronica sat on her desk, swinging her feet back and forth as Connor took care of her. The feeling of his fingers running over her neck as he cleaned up the cut was electrifying. Veronica hated how much she thought about it. "You're all set," he said, taking a step back. "Does everything feel alright?"

"Yeah." Veronica ran a hand over the bandages, frowning. "Thank you, Connor."

"Of course." He took a seat in her desk chair. "Can I ask you a personal question, Veronica?"

"Yeah, shoot."

"What causes your heartbeat to get faster?" Veronica looked curiously at Connor. 

"Well, uh... It can happen when you're scared, or angry, or... When you're in love." Veronica knew her heart was pounding. She was almost sure Connor could hear it.

"Alright." He looked a little less confused. "My thirium pump was beating very fast earlier. It started when that deviant grabbed you on the roof. It hasn't really stopped since." He looked straight into Veronica's eyes. "I was scared for you. That must be it."

Connor seemed deeply disturbed by this fact, which alarmed Veronica. "Hey! What is it?" She placed a hand on his arm, and he started. 

"Nothing. It's nothing." He shrugged her hand away, smiling at her. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thank you." She found herself staring at Connor. His hair was a little disheveled; a few strands lay on his forehead. She had to resist the urge to fix them. "I'm gonna head out," she said, hopping off the desk. "It's getting a little late."

"Alright." Connor picked up his torn jacket and balled it up. "I'll have to pick up a new jacket from Cyberlife."

Once again, Veronica felt a little embarrassed about ruining his clothes. "I'm sorry, Connor."

"It's really nothing, I promise," he reassured her, shaking his head. "I'll call you if we hear anything."

"Alright." Veronica waved at Connor as she headed out the door. 

The cold air was like a slap in the face. She pulled her scarf up over her nose and walked quickly to her car. She shut the door, sighing, and turned on the engine. As she sat and waited for the heat to kick in, she gazed out the window. All she could think about was Connor and the rooftop. He had saved her life, prioritized her over the mission... She couldn't wait to see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!! i'll try to get the next chapter out soon. also i feel bad about making gavin such an asshole lol (perhaps he will be redeemed??)


	3. Chapter 3

Veronica laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling of her apartment.  Her phone sat at her side, and every so often she checked it for a missed call.  She just needed something to do; her mind was still spinning after the events of the day. 

She stood up and headed into her kitchen.  She opened the fridge and stared at its contents; she needed to go buy groceries soon. She took out an apple and started eating.  Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was one in the morning.  She sighed.

Suddenly, she heard a firm knock at her door.  She stood, dropping the apple out of surprise.  She quickly picked it up and threw it out, then made her way slowly to the door. Another couple knocks came, making her jump.  She slid the lock into place and opened the door a crack.

"Connor!"  He poked his head through the opening with a charming smile.

"Hello, Veronica.  Good morning."

Veronica sighed, unlocking the door and letting him in.  She felt a little naked, even though she was wearing a t-shirt and shorts.  "So what's going on?"  She sat on the couch, leaning forward.  

"We have a new case - a murder at the Eden Club, the android sex club downtown.  I've been trying to contact Lieutenant Anderson, but I can't get a hold of him.  I figured we should get him together."

"Alright."  She stood and wondered briefly how he got her address, but she shrugged the thought away.  "Let me get dressed."

"Of course."  He took a seat on the couch, looking extremely uncomfortable.  

"Make yourself at home.  I'll be back in a minute."  She entered her bedroom and shut the door.  A smile quickly came to her face at the thought of Connor sitting in her apartment, and as soon as it arrived, it was replaced by an embarrassed grin.  She didn't really want to admit how much she enjoyed spending time with Connor.  She pulled on a pair of jeans and a button down shirt and left the room.  

Pulling on her shoes, she looked over at Connor.  He was inspecting an old cabinet, browsing through piles of DVDs.  "A bit archaic, don't you think?" he asked, picking one up and scanning it.

"Yeah, but they're all from my parents.  And I think they look better."  She laughed shortly, a little embarrassed.  "I know I should probably get them all in digital soon - "

"No."  She closed her mouth when Connor spoke.  "I think it's cute."  Veronica felt heat rise to her face almost immediately.  Connor saw it.  "I - I mean, I - would you like to watch one of these together sometime?"  His voice sounded almost embarrassed too.

"...Yeah.  Yeah, I'd like that, Connor."  After quickly tying her shoelaces, she stood up and opened the door.  "I guess we should go."  Connor followed her out, shutting the door firmly.  

Connor hailed a taxi, and the two of them sat quietly in the back seat.  Veronica was hyperaware of how close they were; Connor's leg was touching hers and she couldn't stop thinking about it.  Connor just stared out the window.  

They arrived and got out of the cab.  Connor rang the doorbell at least five times, but Hank didn't answer.  Connor started walking around to the side of the house.  "What are you doing?" Veronica asked.  "You're not gonna break in, are you?"

Connor just shrugged, peering into a window.  Veronica joined him, cupping her hands around her eyes to see inside.  

They found Hank lying on his kitchen floor, unconscious.  "Shit!" Veronica said, immediately worried.  "How are we gonna - "

"Stand back, Veronica," Connor said loudly.  Confused, Veronica complied.  Connor barreled past her and jumped towards the window, smashing the glass and landing inside with a loud 'thud'. 

"Holy shit!"  Veronica followed him through the window without hesitation, landing next to Connor.  "Hey, you - "  She stopped talking when she noticed a big St. Bernard lumber towards them. 

"Hey, Sumo," Connor said, his voice a little shaky.  He reached out and petted the dog, who seemed to like it.  "We're here to help Hank, okay?"  The dog just turned away and sat quietly on the floor.  Connor had the slightest smile on his face, still looking at Sumo.  Veronica felt butterflies in her stomach as she watched him. 

Connor stood suddenly.  "We need to help Lieutenant Anderson," he said quietly.  He offered his hand to Veronica, who took it and pulled herself up.  "Did you cut yourself on any broken glass?"

"If I did, I didn't notice," she answered, feeling around for anything.  "I'm fine."

"Good."  He crouched down in front of Hank and blinked.  He was scanning him.  Veronica kneeled on the ground and felt Hank's forehead; he was extremely warm. 

"What should we do with him?" 

Connor didn't answer; he just reached his hand out and slapped Hank across the face. Before Veronica could say anything, Hank shot up and grabbed her arm for support.

"What the fuck..." he mumbled.  He turned and stared straight at Connor, his mouth agape.  "Get the fuck outta my house!"  Connor grabbed him under his arm and hoisted him up.  He carried Hank to the bathroom, and Veronica followed, worried but also slightly amused at his drunken exclamations.

Connor set him down on the ledge of the bathtub.  "I've got this, Veronica," he said quickly.

"Okay."  She stepped out of the room and went back into the kitchen.  She figured this was a nice opportunity to learn a little Hank.  She took a look at the table, picking up a picture frame that had been turned over.  It was a boy, probably around six or seven.  Veronica didn't know he had a kid.

She glanced briefly to the floor where Hank had been lying.  A bottle of whiskey sat on the ground, nearly empty.  She crouched down to pick it up and noticed something extremely unnerving.  

A revolver lay next to the bottle.  Veronica hesitated before carefully picking it up.  She looked inside the chamber and found one bullet.  She set it down, her eyes wide.  

She really didn't want to ask him about it; she'd only known him for a couple days and he'd probably be mad at her.  At the same time, she knew she had to do something.  

"Veronica?" Connor called from the bathroom.  "Could you go into Hank's room and grab some clothes for him?"

"Sure," Veronica responded, still looking warily at the gun.  She stood up and headed into Hank's room.

It was kind of a mess, which was unsurprising.  She opened his closet and went through his shirts - they were all ugly, in a charming way.  She picked out a blue and orange striped top and grabbed a pair of pants off of the bed.  She stepped into the bathroom and handed them to Connor, frowning at the sight of Hank hunched over the toilet.  "We should give him a minute," she said, stepping outside.  Connor followed her and shut the door.

They walked into the living room.  "Hey, did Hank ever tell you he has a kid?"  Connor looked at her strangely.  "There's a picture of him on the table."

Connor walked to the table and flipped the photograph over, running a scan.  He blinked, setting the picture back down.  "Cole Anderson, born 2029, died 2035."  Veronica held back a gasp, her eyes wide.  "He never told me."

"Me neither, I..."  Her gaze fell on the gun again.  Connor followed her eyes and went to it, picking it up.  

"What's the gun for, Lieutenant?" he called.  Veronica cringed.

"Russian roulette," Hank replied through the wall.  His tone was much too casual.

Connor put the gun down and joined Veronica by the front door.  "What's wrong?" he asked, looking down at her in concern.

"I just..."  Her voice wobbled a little.  "I had no idea about Hank.  I feel bad."

"I understand."  Connor's hand just barely touched her arm when he reached for the doorknob.  "After you," he said, gesturing out the door.  Veronica walked to the car and watched as Connor and Hank left the house as well.

Hank started to climb into the driver's seat, but Veronica stopped him.  "Hank, you're probably not in good shape to drive."  He just looked up at her.  "...Maybe I should take this one."

"Whatever," Hank grumbled, but he still tossed her the keys.  He got out of the front and Veronica got in.  She had to adjust the seat quite a bit to be able to reach the pedals.  

"There aren't many self-drivers outside of Detroit," she said, turning the car on.  It slowly rumbled to life.  "I kind of like these better, though."

"But aren't self-driving cars much easier?" Veronica turned quickly to look at Connor when he spoke.

"It's fun to drive," she answered.  "It's relaxing."  Hank, sitting next to her, smiled.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."  Hank kicked his feet up on the dash.  "So Connor, tell me about the case."

"A man was found dead about an hour ago, at the Eden Club.  We'll be there soon, Veronica, just take the next left." 

After a couple minutes, they reached the club.  Veronica parked and hopped out, walking briskly through the door.  She tried to keep her eyes low as she passed the practically naked androids staring at her.  She turned back quickly and rejoined Connor and Hank.  "I don't like this," she muttered, folding her arms over her chest.  

"Yeah, it's freaky, huh?"  Hank mirrored Veronica and crossed his arms.  Connor just walked briskly through to the main area of the club, completely unfazed.  Veronica picked up her pace a bit to catch up to him.  

She found a large man speaking to a few police officers.  "Hi, sir.  Are you the owner of this establishment?" Veronica asked.  He nodded; Veronica noticed he was sweating profusely.  "We're on the deviant case, we'd like to take a look at the scene."

He pointed to a door.  "In there."  She let Hank Connor go ahead of her into the room.

"Oh, Jesus.  Look who it is, Chris!  Anderson and his plastic pet."   Veronica grimaced when she heard Gavin's voice.  Of course he would be here.  "Christ, figures you would show up to  _our_  crime scene - oh, uh..."  Gavin met Veronica's eyes, his smug grin faltering.  "Hey, Veronica."

She said a quick hello and walked briskly toward a female android's body on the side of the room.  She crouched down and placed a hand on her arm - the body was freezing.  She could hear Gavin and Hank exchanging blows behind her but she didn't pay any attention - at least, until Gavin put a hand on her shoulder.  

"Hey.  Cool to see you again."  She glanced back at him, giving him a strange look.  "Even though it sucks that you brought these  _assholes_  with you!" he said loudly, a dumb grin on his face.  "But - "  He turned back quickly, the grin dropping from his face and being replaced by an anxious frown - "I actually wanna know if you want to go out this weekend, are you - "

"Detective Reed."  Connor's voice rang out.  "Veronica's too polite to say it, so I'll say it for her - stop trying to pursue her.  She's not interested."  He paused and then added one more thing.  "Please don't take this as me being rude, I'm simply looking out for my partner."

Gavin's mouth curled into a feral snarl, and he snatched his arm away from Veronica's shoulder.  He walked up to Connor, his eyes narrowed.  "You have no fucking right.   _I_  am a person.   _You_  are a robot.  Go fuck yourself, you pile of fucking scraps."  His eyes widened, and suddenly he grinned.  "Oh, I get it.  You're jealous, huh?  Fuckin' robot has a crush?  Fuck you."  He shoved Connor out of his way and stormed out of the room.

His partner - Chris Miller, Veronica was pretty sure - awkwardly bid Hank goodnight and followed Gavin out.  Once they were both gone, Hank shut the door firmly.

"What the fuck was that all about?" Hank asked, bewildered. 

"Detective Reed won't leave Veronica alone," Connor explained, adjusting his jacket - Veronica hadn't even noticed that he got a new one. 

"The dude's a prick.  Sorry about that."

"No worries.  I'll live."  She stood and approached the dead human sprawled out on the bed.  The first thing she noticed were light bruises around his neck, shaped like fingerprints.  He was strangled.  "Did you - "

"Yes," Connor said.  "Strangulation appears to be the cause of death."  He turned his gaze on the android.  "He must've broken it.  If it happened recently... I can reactivate it.  But it'll only last a minute at best."

Connor placed his hand on the android's stomach, and his skin seemed to melt away to reveal pure white.  He opened up her stomach and grabbed a couple cords, pushing them together.

She hopped up and gasped, pushing herself up against the wall.  "You - what are - "

"You should talk, Veronica," Connor said.  

"Hi," Veronica said calmly, putting her hand out.  "We're not going to hurt you.  You were deactivated and we turned you back on."

"Is he dead?" she whispered.  She was hyperventilating - Veronica only now realized she didn't even have to breathe. 

"Yes."  Veronica took her hand carefully.  "Did you kill him?"

"No."  The android furiously shook her head. "It wasn't me, it was the other one - he wanted two of us, he said that."

"What was her model?" Veronica asked, growing urgent but trying her best not to show it.  She kept her voice as low and gentle as possible. 

"She was - am I going to die again?"  The android's eyes widened, and she clung to Veronica so tightly it hurt.  "I don't wanna die again.  Please, don't let me."

"You're going to be fine."  Veronica slowly moved towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders.  "You need to tell me."  She brushed a hand through her hair, and the android seemed to calm down.  "What was the model?"

"She's a Traci, my model, with blue hair - "  Her mouth fell open and her head lolled to her chest.  She was gone.  

"Jesus," Hank murmured.  Veronica pulled the android's hand out of her own, grimacing.  She didn't want to look at her any longer.  "I'll ask the owner if he's seen anything."

"Alright."  The three of them left the room.  

"You did a nice job speaking with the android," Connor said.

"Thank you."  Veronica nervously crossed her arms.  "I lied to her."

"It was necessary."  Connor placed a hand on her arm, and she looked up into his eyes.  "There wasn't anything you could do for her."

Veronica didn't answer; she just bit her lip, fighting the frown that tried to pull at her mouth.  Connor brought his hand back and turned away, walking over to the other side of the room.  She decided to join Hank.

"...I mean, it's practical to run a place like this.  They're robots, they don't give a shit what you do to them.  Ya know?"  Veronica grimaced.  Hank just shook his head.

"Can't say that I do, but alright."  He breathed out sharply through his nose and turned away.  

"Come on, man, you gotta admit it's kind of genius.  What about you, hon?"  The man turned his gaze to Veronica, who met his eyes.  "Y'know... It'd really be something if they made a Traci model after you, honey.  I know a couple guys who'd be all over that."

Veronica stared, mortified, at the man, but before he could say anything more, Hank stalked up to him.  "You shut your fuckin' mouth, you hear me?" he said lowly, his hand clenching into a tight fist.  Just before he swung, he was interrupted.

"Veronica?  Lieutenant Anderson? I need to ask a favor of you."  Connor's clear voice stopped Hank in his tracks.

"You're fucking lucky," he hissed, and walked quickly with Veronica to find Connor.

"Thank you," she said quietly.  Hank just nodded.  

They stopped in front of Connor, who stood before one of the Tracis.  "Would one of you be willing to purchase this Traci?"

"Connor, now's not the fuckin' time," Hank said, groaning.

"Please.  You need to trust me on this."  Veronica could hear slight desperation in his voice.

"Yeah.  Sure, Connor."  She stepped up to the touchpad on the side of the chamber holding the Traci.  She selected the cheapest possible option and gave her fingerprint.  

The door slowly opened and the Traci walked out, a smirk on her face.  "Hello, it's nice to meet you," she said, her voice low.  She put her arm out.  "You look very beautiful."

"Okay, Connor.  Now what?"  Veronica looked pointedly past the android at Connor.

Connor reached out and grabbed the Traci's arm, his skin melting away.  Both androids stood still for a moment until Connor let go.  "She saw the Traci go by.  We have to find another one that saw her."  He frowned.  "It's club policy to wipe their memories every two hours.  We only have a couple minutes."  He grabbed Veronica's arm and pulled her along, leaving the Traci behind.

Veronica and Hank took turns purchasing androids, and even though Veronica knew it was for the case, it made her feel...really bad.  She looked into the lifeless eyes of every Traci she purchased and felt terrible.  Soon enough, though, Connor got all the information he needed and gestured for them to follow him into a back room.

Connor held Veronica's wrist tightly as the entered the back warehouse of the club.  "Stay close to me," he whispered.  Veronica did as he asked, holding his hand as they carefully crept around the room.  Hank went ahead of both of them, his hand resting over the gun on his hip.

There were a few Tracis standing dormant in the corner of the room.  Veronica peered at them, her eyes widening when she saw a flash of red among the blue LEDs.  She let go of Connor and ran at her, shoving past the other androids.  The Traci was quick to react and punched her in the face, hard.

Veronica reeled back, holding her face, and the Traci ran towards her.  Veronica kicked a stool at her and jumped back. The Traci was only slightly taken aback and managed to grab Veronica again.  Veronica kicked the Traci in the leg, managing to work out of her grasp.  She could see Hank and Connor fighting another Traci with short brown hair.

The Traci took this moment to kick Veronica in the side, sending her tumbling onto the same stool she'd thrown at the Traci moments ago.  She cried out, trying desperately to push herself up.  The Traci left Veronica and began to fight Connor, assisting the other Traci.

Veronica crawled to the open exit, holding back groans of pain, and flopped out the door and onto the ground outside.  She lifted up her shirt and inspected her side.  She wasn't cut, but she knew it was going to bruise.  Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she watched the other Traci pushed Hank out the same door, sending him landing right next to her.

"Shit," he groaned, trying to sit up.  "You alright?"

"I'm fine."  Veronica started to stand.  "Where's Connor?"

"He'll be alright."  Hank pulled her back down, staring at her.  "Shit, you - "

Connor leapt over both of them and landed on his feet.  Without a moment of hesitation he reached out and grabbed the blue haired Traci and threw her against the brick wall.  The brown haired Traci ran to her, helping her stand and kissing her briefly.  The sight surprised Veronica.  Letting go of her lover, the brown haired Traci fought back, kicking Connor over and charging at him.

Veronica watched with bated breath as he drew his gun.  He had it trained on her, it was an easy shot - but he didn't take it.  He turned back and looked at Veronica with something indescribable in his eyes before taking one last kick to the face.

Veronica scrambled towards him, grabbing his hand and pulling him close.  "Are you alright?" he whispered, looking down at her.  "Your hip.  It's bruised."

"I'll be okay," Veronica breathed in response, turning back to the two Tracis.

"...I killed him," the blue haired android said, staring straight at Connor.  "I wrapped my hands around his neck and squeezed.  I can't remember how long it took but it felt like a lifetime."  She grabbed the other Traci's hand and held it tightly.  "I knew he was gonna break me like he broke the other girl.  So...I did it.  I didn't want to, but I knew I needed to live.  To be with her."  She pulled the other Traci in and hugged her; Veronica could see she was shaking.  "Let's get out of here," she muttered, and they hopped the fence and ran off.

Connor helped Veronica up.  "Are you alright?" he asked again, brushing snow off of her clothes.

"Yeah, I'll be okay."  

Hank stood and joined them.  "You should see your face, kid.  You're gonna have a huge fuckin' shiner tomorrow." 

Veronica knew he was right; her face around her right eye ached terribly.  "I'll put some ice on it when I get home."

"Alright," Hank answered.  "I'll drive you home, how's that sound?"

Veronica smiled at him, eager to finally get some sleep.  "Yeah, okay."  They walked around to the front of the building.

As they rounded the corner, Veronica turned to Connor.  "Why didn't you shoot?" she asked, frowning.

"I..." Connor fell silent.  "I looked into her eyes and I saw - I saw something."  Connor blinked.  "It made me think of you.  I can't explain it."

Veronica felt her face heat up.  She played with the buttons on her shirt, desperate to do something with her hands.  "I think you did the right thing."

"Veronica, we know nothing about the deviants.  How was that the right thing?"  Connor's voice grew agitated as he spoke.

"...I don't know."  They reached Hank's car, and he immediately got into the driver's seat.  Veronica decided to get in the back, and to her surprise, Connor joined her.  

"You seem tired, Veronica," Connor said.

"Yeah.  I haven't been sleeping a lot lately."  She ran her hand through her hair.  

Connor took her hand and pulled her towards him, letting her lean on his shoulder.  "You can rest a bit."  Veronica smiled and wrapped an arm around him.  He seemed to stiffen for a moment, but he soon relaxed. She laid like that for a while, listening to the sound of her breathing, until she fell asleep.

When she woke up she was on her couch.  She smiled; Connor must've carried her in.  She stood and walked to the kitchen.

"You're awake."  She nearly screamed when she heard Connor's voice from down the hall.  He stepped out of her bedroom, carrying a few blankets.  "You were cold; I thought you could use something."  He started to lay them out on the couch.

"Connor, what are you doing here?" Veronica asked, watching in confusion as Connor went to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack.

"Lieutenant Anderson thought it would be a good idea for me to take care of you tonight," he replied, wrapping a towel around the ice.  "Sit down."  Veronica took a seat on the couch, still a little confused.  "And to be honest..."  Connor placed the ice over Veronica's eye, and she winced at the cold.  "I wanted to spend more time with you."

Veronica smiled, crossing her legs under her.  "I'm glad you stayed."  She could only see out of one eye, but she was sure she could see the corner of Connor's mouth turn up.  

They sat like that for a long time, neither of them saying anything, until Veronica yawned loudly.  "Aren't you tired?" she said.

"I don't have to sleep."

"Oh yeah."  She gently guided Connor's hand away from her face and leaned into his arms again, like she had in the car.  She started to drift off, and she just barely felt Connor running his hands through her hair before she fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, thanks so much for reading!! sorry this chapter was so huge lmao. if you liked please leave a comment, and i'll see you next chapter! :)


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